Manifold structure



May 2 1934;

J. B. FISHER ET AL MANIFOLD STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 'Filed March 20,1950 May 29, 1934. J. B. FISHER El AL MANIFOLD STRUCTURE Filed March 20,1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l l l 2 N g b Patented May 29, 1954 UNITED JSTATES 1,960,775 )MANIFQLD STRUCTURE James B. Fisher and Jesse FloidCoverstone, Waukesha, Wis., assignors to Waukesha Motor Company,Waukesha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 20, 1930,Serial No. 437,328

7 Claims.

This'invention relates to manifolds, and more particularly to a manifoldstructure comprising an exhaust manifold and' an intake manifold relatedand constructed in a novel manner.

Our invention has to do with means for preventing undesirableaccumulation of liquid fuel in the intake manifold, while assuringvaporizing of such liquid fuel as may accumulate in the intake manifoldby heat derived from the exhaust manifold. A further object of ourinvention is to assure uniform delivery of the fuel mixture to theoutlet ports of the intake manifold. Further objects and advantages ofour invention will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a manifold structure in accordance with ourinvention, partly broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is an elevation of a manifold struc-- In the form of ourinvention illustrated, by

way of example, the structure comprises an ex- ;haust manifold 1 and anintake manifold 2 cast integrally with the exhaust manifold. The exhaustmanifold defines an exhaust passage 2a, and is provided with arms 3defining ports opening into the exhaust passage, these .arms beingprovided with flanges for bolting to the .engine block-in a knownmanner. The exhaust manifold Isis open at one end, at which end it isprovided with a suitable flange 4 for securement to the-end of anexhaust pipe or conduit.

The intake manifold 2 comprises a lower main body portion 5 and an upperportion 6 from which extends an inlet stack 7, this stack opening intoportion 6 midway between the ends thereof. The stack 7 is adapted to beconnected to a carburetor, or other suitable means, for supplying asuitable fuel mixture to the intake manifold in a known manner.

Main portion 5 of the intake manifold is provided, at eachend thereof,with an arm 8 defining an outlet passage 9. The upper portion 6 isprovided, at each end thereof, with an arm 10 integrally connected tothe main portion 5 and opening into passage 9. Portion, 6 is providedwith a passage 11, extending from each side of the stack '7, andestablishing communication between the main portion of the intakemanifold .and the supplemental upper portion 6 thereof.

As will be noted more clearly from Figures 1 and 2, main portion 5 isfurther provided with a central arm 12 opening into passage 9 centrallythereof and defining a central outlet, The arms 8 and 12 have suitableflanges at their outer ends for I bolting to the engine block in a knownmanner.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the upper horizontalportion 6 of the intake manifold is provided with a plurality of ribs 13extending across the lower portion of passage 11. There are a pluralityof these ribs at each side of the stack 7, and, as will be noted moreclearly from Figure 1, the ribs are inclined across passage 11 towardthe inner side wall 14 of portion 6 and in the direction of flow of thefuel mixture through the intake manifold from the stack 7. The wall 14is common to both upper portion 6 of the intake manifold and the exhaustmanifold and is preferably provided, on its inner face, with ribs 15projecting into and extending longitudinally of the exhaust'manifold.These ribs serve 8 to conduct the heat from the hot exhaust gasesflowing thereover to the wall 14, and a portion of the exhaust gasesflows over the irmer face of wall 14 in direct contact therewith. Inthis manner the upper portion 6, particularly the inner stack. Also, anyliquid fuel which condenses upon the walls defining passage 11 willtravel downwardly along such walls into the pockets 16. The liquid fuelwhich enters the passage 11 is thus trapped in the pockets 16 betweenthe ribs 13 and is retained in portion 6 of the intake manifold so as tobe vaporized by the fuel mixture flowing through passage 11. This flowof the fuel mixture also acts to direct the liquid fuel in the pockets16 toward the wall 14, which is the hottest portion of the intakemanifold. The liquid fuel is thus effectively vaporized by heat derivedfrom the exhaust manifold, and the vaporized fuel becomes intermixedwith the fuel mixture flowing through the intake manifold and travelstherewith to the engine cylinders. A further important advantage of theribs 13 is that they act to prevent the liquid fuel from passingdownwardly into the main body portion 5 of the intake manifold andaccumulating upon the lower wall thereof. An intake manifold constructedin the manner illustrated and describedhas the advantage of trapping andretaining the liquid fuel, in the manner above set forth, and may beused to advantage either with the exhaust manifold so as to be heatedthereby, or separately from the exhaust manifold, though we preferablydispose the intake manifold in proximity to the exhaust manifold in themanner illustrated.

Referring more particularly to Figure 2, it will be noted that portions11A of passage 11 of the supplemental portion 6 of the intake manifoldare restricted relative to end portions 9A of passage 9 of the main bodyportion 5 and which extend from the arms 8 to arms 10. It will furtherbe noted that portions 93 of passage 9 which extend between arms 10 andarm 12 are restricted relative to the outer portions 9A of passage 9.Preferably portions 11A of passage 11 and portions 93 of passage 9 eachhave across area equal to about per cent of the cross area of portions9A of passage 9. We find that this proportioning of the passages causesrapid flow of the fuel mixture through all of the passages andeliminates stagnant areas, thus improving distribution. With passages ofuniform cross area the central port defined by arm 12 is apt to receivea too rich fuel mixture when the engine is operating at low speed. Thisdifficulty is avoided by restricting portions of the passages in themanner illustrated and described.

The manifold structure illustrated and de-.

scribed is intended for use with a six cylinder internal combustionengine. In the drawings, the flow of the exhaust gases is indicated bythe unfeathered arrows, the flow of the fuel mixture being indicated bythe feathered arrows.

What we claim is:

1. In a manifold structure,an exhaust manifold, an intake manifoldcomprising a substantially horizontal portion having an inner wall inproximity to the exhaust manifold, and spaced ribs extending across thelower portion of said horizontal portion of the intake manifold, saidribs being inclined toward said inner wall and in the direction of flowof fuel mixture through said horizontal portion of the intake manifold.

2. In amanifold structure, an exhaust manifold, an intake manifold.comprising'a substantially -horizontal portion formed integrally withthe adjacent portion of the exhaust manifold, there being a common wallbetween the horizontal portion of the intake manifold and the exhaustmanifold, and spaced ribs extending across the lower portion of saidhorizontal portion of the intake manifold, said ribs being inclinedtoward said wall and in the direction of flow of fuel mixture throughsaid horizontal portion of said intake manifold.

3. In a manifold structure, an exhaust manifold, an intake manifoldcomprising a substantially horizontal portion and -a stack opening intosuch portion intermediate the ends thereof, one side wall of saidhorizontal portion being in proximity to the exhaust manifold to beheated therefrom, and spaced ribs extending across the lower portion ofthe horizontal portion of the intake manifold and at opposite sides ofthe stack, said ribs being in- 0 clined toward the side wall and in thedirection of flow of fuel mixture through said intake manifold.

4. In a manifold structure, an intake mani fold provided with asubstantially horizontal fuel mixture passage, and spaced ribs extendingacross the lower portion of said passage and inclined toward one sidethereof and in the direction of flow "of fuel mixture through thepassage.

5. In a manifold structure, an intake manifold provided with asubstantially horizontal fuel mixture passage having an outlet openingat each end, a stack opening into the passage from below and between theends thereof, and spaced ribs extending across the lower portion of thepassage and at opposite sides of the stack, said ribs being, disposedbetween the stack and said outlet openings.

6. In a manifold structure, an intake manifold comprising a main portionprovidedwith a passage and with a central outlet and end outletsopening. into said passage, a supplemental portion having a passageopening at its ends into the passage of the main portion and between thecentral and the end outlets thereof, and a stack opening into thesupplemental portion, said passages being provided with restrictionsbetween .the stack and the ends of said supplemental portion and betweenthe endsof the supplemental portion and said central outlet of the mainportion.

7. In a manifold structure, an exhaust manifold, an intake manifoldcomprising a substantially horizontal, portion having a wall thereof inheat conducting relation to the exhaust manifold, and spacedribs-extending across said horizontal portion of the intake anifold andinclined toward said wall and in the direction of flow of fuel mixturethrough the horizontal portion of said intake manifold.

JAMES B.'FISHER. JESSE FLOID COVERSTONE.

